Stepping Wild, CH 58 (Patreon)

Tibs made notes of another song the scholar had written, telling of villagers vanishing in a dark forest of madness where monsters reign. The song had more, a brave adventurer fighting them to rescue his love, epic battles against dungeon made creatures. Even if the song didn’t have a dungeon in it.

For all Tibs knew, nothing about it was true. It had come out of a bard’s mouth, after all. But it had one detail he could use. The name of the kingdom the story took place in. Herfitar.

He’d read about it before, in this library. A different scholar had, for no reason Tibs could workout, gone around that kingdom and recorded anecdotes of people vanishing. The how, was written in vague terms, but how many? That, the scholar had carefully noted. And he’d then grouped them in regions. Even those numbers had made little sense to him, but the scholar had made a note next to a series of them.

Why does the Ashimeter region have more vanishing than the others?

Tibs hadn’t bothered then, but with the song, he went back to the shelves, looking for information on the kingdom and that region.

A man showed the region to be forested with a handful of villages and one town. It was over a century old, so that would have changed, but its size lent itself to being the never ending forest of the song. The notes on the region made no mention of vanishing, or monsters, or anything really. A century ago, the only thing of note there was that it existed at all.

Three kingdoms zenithward. It made it the closest one with a possibility of being what he was looking for. If not, he had two others, the closest over a year’s travel away from there. Still, it made for a productive day.

A day away from the house and everything happening there. Cynta received visitors, and when her man’s absence was commented on, it was revealed that lord Tieran’s constitution left to desire and that he was resting. The few times he’d had to be present, the hints he couldn’t perform his manly duties were barely veiled. Not reacting to them was easy, but gave the impression he wasn’t quick, as well as impotent.

Getting out of the house was simple enough. Dress like one of the many servants and slip out. No one noticed those.

And now, it was time for him to end his day at the library and begin his evening of gathering the information they needed for the heist.

Among the talks Cynta with the nobles, Cynta had let him know of Lord Fyrbrend’s intention to host a gathering to officially present the Hollomeir to the city’s nobles.

    *

The noble’s household sat in the center of open space extending a full city block around it. It was grassed and flowered with a few thin trees so they wouldn’t block the patrolling guard’s line of sight. It would make for a pleasant meadow if one didn’t look past the stone wall.

The ten houses were such in this part of the city. The ten highest of the nobles, wasting space so they could have a pleasant meal outside, without ever having to leave their property. Tibs expected that it made it nearly impossible for a roof runner to reach those houses hadn’t been considered.

Of course, if one had an element, nearly impossible was just a question of properly applying that element.

Tibs channeled air and made disks ahead of him to leap on and cross the distance, cautiously landing on the bedroom’s balcony once confirming the weave on the door didn’t extent to it.

He couldn’t enter through it because, unlike many high windows and balcony door enchantment, this one was properly maintained. But the window to the other bedroom, one without a balcony and at the other end of this side of the house, didn’t have such protection.

Of course, any thief trying to reach it would need to traverse a distance of nearly sheer stone wall and wood. Tibs didn’t know if it was on purpose, but each section was large enough it ensured someone with either of the elements would have to also rely on actual skill. The gap between the stone was minute, and each block nearly as tall as he was and half as wide. They were staggered so that using pitons to hold on would require the thief to be able to extend a hand down or up with enough strength to lodge it securely.

Someone with earth as their element would have a slightly easier time, since wood was softer than stone, but they would be surprised by this one’s hardness. The essence was packed and intertwined in the way Tibs had learned to recognize from the harder woods, and he had a sense this would be the hardest he’d encountered.

But he didn’t have to bother with that. He had both elements.

Abyss, if he wanted to make it easy on himself, he could make a ledge of either element to the window, or make it out of air, ice, metal. He had so possibilities when it came to easy, that he’d quickly grown bored with it.

There were times when he had to use the easy way.

The rest of the time?

His years as a Runner had taught him to enjoy a challenge.

He judged the distance as he climbed on the railing. He’d need a boost to make it, and the windowsill was narrow, but the wood was of the same hardness as what was used on the wall, so it would hold.

He etched the air under his feet and adjusted his position. He leaped, and the added push carried him across the distance. He grabbed onto the sill, but his momentum caused his fingers to slide along it. He channeled wood and made it grab hold of him, leaving him dangling by a hand.

He smiled and patted the windowsill. “That’s good,” he told it. It was good indeed. Strong, resilient. It was a shame it had been cut down to be used here, but Tibs could change that. He could make it grow again, return it to the magnificent being it had been before.

He shook his head to clear Wood’s lingering influence. He’d need to make time to practice channeling it again. He’d thought he’d been better at ignoring it by now.

The bedroom was empty; it was early still for nobles. He made a metal shim and slipped it between the window and the sill to undo the latch, then entered the house.

He took the papers and charcoal from inside his jacket and set about mapping the house.

    *

“Okay, explain to me why you didn’t just take their money if you were in there to do this?” Charlie motioned to the papers Tibs was arranging on the table to show the layout of each of the house’s floor.

“Because there’s no way I could take it all and leave.” He looked at the thug. “Even you’re going to have trouble carrying all of it.”

“Which is why we’ll be dividing it among us, right?” Uzoma said, an edge to his voice. He hadn’t lost the suspicion Tibs was going to betray him.

“Yes,” Cynta said. “Did you get the bags?”

“From the stone seller,” the archer replied. “Those used to carry stones on horses’ back.”

“I tested the leather and the seams,” Charlie said. “We can fill them with gold coins and they will hold.”

Tibs nodded. “The Fyrbrend’s house has five floors and a cellar, which doubles as the safe’s room.”

“Guards are posted at the entrance to the stairs,” Uzoma tapped them, “and aren’t allowed to leave their post even if the house is burning down around them.”

“That comment was good for a few laughs,” Charlie said, “from everyone else at the table.” He tapped the outside doors. “Two guards at each, one needs to remain there at all times. Six patrol the grounds, two at the entrance gate. We’re not going to be able to pay any of them to ignore what we’re going. The Fyrbrend are harsh masters, but they understand the power of money.”

“That’s okay,” Cynta said. “The Lord of the house will be escorting me to the cellar, and of course, I wouldn’t go away from the celebration without at least one of my guard.” She smiled. “After all, who can tell what his intentions for me might be?”

Tibs tapped a room on the third floor. “The ladies’ office is Fleet Finger’s target. Once Cynta is convinced by the lord to get a tour of his cellar, I’ll excuse myself. By now, my lack of stamina is established, and needing time away won’t be questioned. I’ve already hidden his costume, and I’m used to quickly changing into it.” He looked at Charlie. “You’ll hear the commotion once I’ve started. You need to subdue the lord and his guard without those at the door realizing anything. Uzoma, when he gives the signal, you’ll need to take down the guards at the stairwell and the three of you leave. Avoid killing if you can, but your escape takes priority.” He looked at Cynta. “The household?”

“As soon as we are out of sight, heading to the noble’s house, the household will be dismissed with excellent pay and the theater folk will empty the house of everything here. By the time anyone is able to check on it, there will be nothing.”

“And as they start looking into everything we’ve claimed,” Tibs added, “all they will find is that none of it was real.”

“Won’t this put the servant in danger?” Uzoma asked. “Those nobles are going to want to lash out at someone.”

“How are they going to know any of them?” Charlie asked. “It’s not like nobles ask for their names.”

“And none of the servants are remarkable,” Cynta said. “And as far as they know, it was honest employment. Gerald is the only one with more knowledge, but as soon as he’s dismissed everyone, he’ll be nothing more than another actor at a scorned theater.”

“Five days,” Tibs said, looking at his team. “In five days, you’ll have more coins than you ever dreamed of having, and we’ll have ruined one of the highest nobles in the city.”

Author’s comments

• What I had to work from

The heist…finally?

Two weeks to pass, everything leading up to the heist

Okay, so not exactly the heist, but we are getting there.

Because of how I plan on things to go wrong (please tell me this doesn’t come as a surprise to any of you at this point) I felt that establishing what the plan is was important.

I’m also pleased this falls on a friday for me writing it. It means I’ll get to discuss this with my co-scripter’s opinion on this without him knowing what’s coming.